Which Photoshop? please help

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lennye4evo

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Edit My Images
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Hi all, im currently using picasa and photo impression and am wanting to start using photoshop. The problem is ive had so much conflicting information and there are so many to choose from which is the one to go for? I dont want to end up upgrading in the near future, but i dont want a massively advanced version for my needs. Everyone seems to have different opinions! Please shead some light if you can many thanks;)
 
Well, what do you want to use it for?
There are trial version available on Adobe's site.
Photoshop Elements is the cheapest version that just might do it for you. Can convert raw files with a free plugin.
Photoshop Lightroom is for raw file processing.
Photshop CS4 has more functions than Elements. Can convert raw files with a free plugin.
Photshop CS4 Extended has more functions than the non-extended version.
 
Thanks for the reply, tbh i dont do great deal of editing its more of a learning curve than anything else to get me started, all i do at the moment is add borders, sharpen, b&w focal b&w that sort of thing then again my current software doesn't offer a great deal more. I just want to get photoshop under my belt sooner than later so i dont find myself upgrading at too late a date and for it to all be new.
 
If you want to find out how much you need, you can try out the GIMP first (or Paint.NET, maybe) - it's free and it just might do the job for you.
Photoshop Elements if rather cheap and you can always have it on your second computer if you only use it for lighter editing and the GIMP isn't quite up to the job (I doubt that can happen, but I haven't tried Elements 7, I think).
 
lennye4evo said:
Cheers mate, is it better than picasa?
Click to expand...

The GIMP? I'd say absolutely, but I have tried Picasa only twice so far and got rid of it rather quickly and it was too basic for my needs when it came to editing and it kept butting into my way of organising photos. It wasn't that great an image viewer either (for me). That was about a year ago, though...
 
Awsome feedback guys appreciated, so exactly what are you paying for in versions such as cs3/4 over elements?
 
CS4 can cost over £400 and a lot more for the full version, you get a whole lot more tools and stuff for your money but if you are not familiar with Photoshop it can be a bit of a maze and over powering. Try elements first and if you get the hang of it then consider the move up
 
GIMP and/or Paint.net
Both free and will get you in to processing using layers, levels, curves etc.
Once you have played with them for a while you will understand what all the paid for programs do and will be able to make a choice based on your own needs.
 
Lightroom doesn't just process RAW files, the main part of it is the organisation, it is more like Picasa in that respect. Adobe has free trials available of all of the versions so spend a month with each one and see how you get on.

FWIW - I do a lot of sport photography and like to get my images sorted and processed ASAP, so with a large amount of images Lightroom wins. On the other hand, my Dad mainly does Landscape work, he only takes a few pictures and processes them to perfection, so uses Photoshop, however Elements would do pretty much the same job.
 
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